Animated trundle toy



April 8, 1958 z. R. ROBBINS 2,829,465

ANIMATED TRUNDLEI TOY Filed March 5, 1956 INVENTOR'. Z4 4? J Z'. -5055Z/KS United States Patent This invention relates to a manually operated wheeled toy of the type wherein the latter is drawn along the ground.

The main object of my invention is to provide a hand operated drawn toy having a plurality of co -operating parts which operate simultaneously to amuse and entertain both old and young.

Another object of my invention is to have a drawn toy as mentioned in which a wheel acts as a friction gear to drive several rotating members which in turn operate various links and bars to display action of all moving parts in different directions and in different ways, although simultaneously.

A further object of this invention is to have such a drawn toy which by its operation is an educationaldevice or toy teaching certain mechanical principles in an interesting manner.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a wheeled drawn toy of the character indicated which has a longitudinal reinforcing frame member upon which the various members of the device are mounted or fixed, as the case may be.

In fact, it is an object to have the handle for drawing the toy along the floor or ground formed upon one end of the elongated reinforcing member and a traction wheel rotatably mounted upon the other end thereof.

A practical object is to include outrigger rollers at the two sides of the traction wheel in order to steady the toy as a whole and allow the same to be left standing at any time without tipping to either side.

An amusing object is likewise to have a stationary upper portion of a human figure fixed upon the intermediate section of the reinforcing member with a movable head operated from the traction wheel together with all other moving parts of the device,

It is, of course an object withal to make such a hand drawn toy essentially simple in construction, light and simple to operate in order to offer it to the public at a low figure and thereby. effect wide distribution thereof on the market.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in greater detail as the specification proceeds.

In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this invention for a proper appreciation of the salient features thereof, the invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel toy made according to my invention and embodying the same in a preferred operative form, parts being shown in section to disclose construction details;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the front end of the same toy shown in Figure 1 but illustrating the opposite side;

Figure 3 is a perspective view partly in section of one of the hollow cylindrical shells or shields mounted beneath the elongated reinforcing member of the device also showing part of a link rod that normally extends through the shell and reciproeates therein;

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Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section of the toy as taken on line 4-4 in Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective detail of the handle end of the reinforcing member of the toy of said Figure 1.

Throughout the views, the same reference numerals indicate the same or like parts and features.

In the field of toys and amusement and educational devices, toys demonstrating motion, especially in several ways are highly desirable. When such toys are not cumbered with power supply or engine drive, etc., but are fully operable merely by pulling the same along a street or floor, the toy involved is readily adopted by children and the motions displayed automatically noted and learned.

Upon considering this problem, it occurred to me that a drawn toy of the type outlined should have an elongated reinforcing member for mounted parts and movements, while a traction wheel furnishes the motive power for the various moving parts of the device. As a result of such consideration, I have succeeded in producing a wheel toy along the lines already mentioned, as will now be described in detail in the following, due reference being had to the drawing.

Hence, in the practice of my invention, the wheel toy, generally indicated at 6, primarily includes an elongated reinforcing member 7 which is formed at one end into a handle portion having the cross handles 8, while at the other end, this member 7 has a short shaft or stud 9 upon which is rotatably mounted the traction wheel ltl adapted to roll along the ground .or door when the hand 11 holds the handle bar 8 and pulls the toy along the floor, or pavement 12. A short distance from the handle 8, a panel 13 is fixed upon the long member 7 by nails, screws or cement, this panel having ,a pair of hollow cylindrical shells or cans 14, 15 secured within the outline of this panel to the member 7 by any such means known in the art, both cans being axially parallel to member 7. The ends of these cans may be closed as end 16 directed toward the front end of the device. In these forward ends of the cans are holes 17 receiving slidable rods 18, i9 connected pivotally by short links 20 and 21 to a swinging lever 22 pivotedintermediately at 23 to elongated member 7.

On this member 7 near its forward end is also fixed a front panel 24 likewise having a pair of hollow cylinders or cans 25, 26 mounted within the rear outline thereof upon elongated member 7, both cans beingvaxially parallel to the member 7 to which they are fixed. The ends 27, 28 of these cans may be closed, but in the rear ends 28 are holes 29 through which further rods 30, 31 slidably extend, these rods being connected by short links 32, 33 to opposite portions of a swinging lever 34 pivoted at its mid point 35 to long member 7. To the same pivot means 35 is connected a link 36 which is connected by a short link 57 to a front link 38 at the upper end thereof. At its lower end, this front link is pivotally connected to an eccentric pivot pin 39 fixed on wheel 10, a second driving link 46 being also connected to this eccentric pivot pin and extending rearwardly to connect pivotally by pin 41 to the lower end of lever 34. Rotation of wheel 10 by travel over the floor 12 will swing lever 34 through link 40 and thereby cause rods 30 and 31 to slidably reciprocate in opposite phase through the can ends 28, while links 36 and 38 will rise and fall with the lower end of link 38 following the rotation of pivot or eccentric pin 39 with wheel 10. i

In order to pass the movement of swinging lever 34 to parallel rear lever 22, a long link 42 is connected at one end by a short link 43 to the lower portion of lever 34 and at the other end by a similar short link 44 to the other lever 22. Upon the underside of the intermediate portion" of member 7 is secured a hollow cylindrical shell 45 open at both ends and disposed in such position that link 42 extends freely therethrough while interconnecting levers 34 and 22. Thus, when lever 34 swings under the oscillation of driving link 40, lever 22 will reciprocate rods 18and 19 simultaneously with rods 30 and 31.

Above cylinder or shell 45 is fixed a bust-shaped panel 46 having an upwardly extending link lever 47 pivoted thereto at 48, the upper end 49 serving as a neck upon which a simulated head 50 is mounted. Below pivot mounting 48 is pivotally connected a link 51 at '2, while at the lower end, this lever 47 is connected by a link 53 to the upper portion of lever 22 at 54, so that the lever 47 with head 50 on neck 4-9 will rock the head with the swinging movement of lever 22 and lever 34. The link 51 is connected through a small link'to an intermediate point upon a baton lever pivoted upon member 7 and surmounted by a ball 67, this lever 56 with its ball 67 rocking back and forth with head 50.

The device is arranged to stand by itself when not in use, so for this purpose, outriggers 5S and 59 on "opposite sides of the front panel 24 are secured at their upper ends by bolts or rivets 60, the outrigger 59 having an adjustable brace 61, connected to the panel 24, while outrigger 58 having a brace 62 connected upon the opposite side to elongated member 7. At the lower ends of the Outriggers thus braced are mounted the rotatable rollers to roll upon the ground with wheel and support the device upright, Whether the toy is stationary or actively pulled by handle bar 8.

The lower ends or edges 65, 66, 67 serve to support the device on the floor or ground when it is lowered to the same to rest thereon.

Manifestly, variations may be resorted to, and parts and features, such as the short links may be used without "low said elongated member and extending through shell,

an eccentricpivot pin secured to said traction wheel, a

"driving link connected at one end to said eccentric pin and at the other end to one of said levers, slidable members connected to said swingable levers, guiding supports mounted upon said elongated member for guiding slidable members, said guiding supports comprising two pairs of hollow cans, one pair of said cans being fixed upon "the upper and lower surfaces of said elongated member forwardly of said pair of levers, the other pair of said 4 hollow cans being fixed upon the upper and lower surfaces of said elongated member rearwardly of said pair of levers, each said slidable member comprising an upper and lower slidable rod connected thereto and extending into said cans adjacent to said swingable levers.

2. A jet Wheel toy according to claim 1, wherein the elongated member has a'rear panel in supporting engagement with the one pair of cans and a front panel in supporting engagement with the other pair of cans within its outline, and two outriggers are secured to the opposite sides of the front panel and at their lower ends have supporting rollers for maintaining the toy upright'against tipping over, the panels having bottom edges aligned and adapted to support the toy upon the floor or ground at rest with the traction wheel in contact with the ground also.

3. A jet wheel toy according to claim 2, wherein a bust-shaped'panel is fixed upon the intermediate portion of the elongated reinforcing member with an upwardly extending lever pivoted upon the upper portion thereof and extending above the panel to form a neck portion, and a simulated head is fixed upon the upper end of the neck portion while the lower end of the lever has a link connected at one end to the lower end thereof and at the other end to the rear swinging lever pivoted upon the elongated member, and wherein an upwardly projecting baton lever is pivotally mounted at its lower end upon said elongated member and is surmounted by a ball member while a link interconnects the intermediate portion of the baton lever and the upwardly extending lever below the neck portion thereof.

4. A jet wheel toy according to claim 3, wherein an upwardly extending front link is connected at its lower end to a portion of the eccentric pivot pin upon the traction wheel and at its upper end has a rearwardly extending link pivotally connected thereto which at its lower rear end is pivotally connected to the pivot mounting of the front swingable lever.

5. A jet wheel toy as set forth in claim 2, wherein said Outriggers each include auxiliary braces, each of said braces extending longitudinally and inwardly from said associated outrigger toward said handle and said elongated member, one of said braces being adjustable whereby said Outriggers are adjustably stabilized against movement in a direction away from said handle.

References Cited in the file of this pat ent UNITED STATES PATENTS 838,866 Kinnebrew Dec. 18, 1906 898,351 Frey Sept. 8, 1908 968,549 Gilkeson Aug. 30, 1910 1,276,769 Hunt Aug. 27, 1918 1,392,485 Davis Oct. 4, 1921 1,746,278 Prunetti Feb. 30, 1930 2,253,030 Jeifries Aug. 19, 1941 

